92 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(04/08/05 5:33am)
The outdoor track season is finally in full swing, and the men's team is set to begin its quest for fast times on the West Coast beginning this weekend with the Pepsi Invitational in Eugene, Ore. After a rain-out in Florida and a blustery weekend in Bloomington, the team is itching for a solid opportunity to compete.\n"Outdoors, we don't have too many chances to compete," said sophomore All-American David Neville. "So I'll try to race as many times as possible and make them count."\nLast weekend, Neville took care of business in the 200-meters, winning the event in 20.98 seconds, qualifying for the NCAA Mideast Regional meet, set to be held in Bloomington in late May. He will now chase qualifying marks in the 400-meters and aid the young four by 400-meter squad in its quest for a regional qualifier. \n"We should have a good 4x400 meter squad," Neville said. "We just all need to get on the same page and we'll run fast."\nThis will be IU's first trip to the Pepsi Invitational, opting for it instead of recent traditional meet, the Texas Relays. The visit to Oregon kicks off two straight weekends out west. Next weekend will find the Hoosiers at the Mt. Sac Relays in Walnut, Calif., a traditional site of hot distance races.\n"I won't open until Mt. Sac," said junior All-American Sean Jefferson. "That's the earliest I should race at all since the season can get pretty long if you race earlier."\nRacing in Eugene will also hold off IU's baton season until the end of April, where they will race the prestigious Penn Relays, instead of beginning the relay season early at Texas.\n"Texas is a great meet," said junior All-American John Jefferson, also set to open at Mt. Sac. "But we want to have really competitive teams at Penn in the Distance Medley and the 4x1500."\nIU will continue to hunt for regional qualifiers in hopes that hosting the meet will bring its athletes some home-track advantage.\n"I think it'll be good to have the Regional at IU," said senior Aarik Wilson, who notched his triple-jump qualifier last weekend. "Hopefully it will help us qualify more guys through to NCAAs."\nLast weekend, in addition to Neville and Wilson, senior Jake Wiseman qualified in the javelin, and junior Ryan Ketchum qualified in the discus, landing himself in second place all time on IU's all time list.\nIn Oregon, Neville said the task is simple. \n"We just have to go out and get the job done," he said.\n-- Contact Staff Writer Rob \nDeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.
(04/01/05 5:34am)
IU will hold its first home meet of the outdoor track season this weekend, holding the second-ever Indiana Relays at the E.C. Billy Hayes Outdoor Track and Field Complex. The meet is one of three home meets for IU, one of which is the National Collegiate Athletics Association Regional at the end of May. Disappointed after the cancellation of the Florida Relays because of inclement weather last weekend, IU's athletes are ready to get the outdoor season underway and get used to competing on their home track in anticipation of the regional. \n"Having the regional at home will be very exciting," said newly crowned NCAA jumping champ senior Aarik Wilson. "I am anxious to see how it will help the team. Hopefully it will allow us to get a few more people through to NCAAs."\nThe meet is a growing attraction for collegiate squads, as its combination of high school and college competition presents a unique opportunity to scout and attract new recruits. Fourteen high school teams are set to descend upon Bloomington for the meet, and IU hopes to shake out the rust after the Florida cancellation with competition against Central Michigan and Army.\n"I'm disappointed we didn't get to run Florida," said sophomore All-American David Neville. "I wanted to open up big with solid competition, but this weekend I'm running the 200, 400 and 4x400 relay, so it will work just fine."\nAnother athlete looking forward to the outdoor season is senior steeplechaser Tom Burns, whose primary event is only contested outdoors. Despite a sparse indoor season, Burns, who narrowly missed All-America honors in 2004, is still biding his time, aiming for the NCAA Regional and Championships later this summer.\n"We're trying to push everything back a few weeks to be sure to be ready for NCAAs," said Burns, one of the track team's strongest assets. "I haven't yet done much hurdle work, but I may open this weekend in the 1,500 or 5,000."\nThe bulk of IU's distance runners will continue to train for another two weeks, rebuilding strength after a strenuous indoor campaign. The rest of the Hoosiers will be in action.\n"I think that it's time for us to have an event like this that will allow students and other supporters to come watch and cheer," Neville said.\n-- Contact Staff Writer Rob \nDeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.
(03/25/05 5:13am)
Still buzzing off its fifth-place finish at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships two weeks ago, the men's track team is hopping a plane to Gainesville for the Florida Relays. The meet will serve as IU's outdoor debut, and allow IU a chance to get used to competing in an uncontrollable climate and also to chase regional qualifying marks.\nUnlike indoor track, where logistical limits prevent a large number of athletes from competing at nationals, outdoor track has embraced a qualifying system that requires athletes to compete in an NCAA Regional meet in order to qualify for Nationals.\nMany of the Hoosiers look forward to getting these marks out of the way early so that they can begin longer training cycles designed to peak at the NCAA and USATF Championships this summer. \nFresh from a fantastic NCAA weekend, which saw him sweep the horizontal jumping events, junior All-American Aarik Wilson remains focused.\n"We like the meet and I always seem to jump well there," Wilson said. "There's still a lot I have to work on, and after NCAAs I have an even bigger target on my back."\nSophomore All-American David Neville has waited all year to get back on the outdoor track, as his height is something of a detriment on an indoor track's tight turns.\n"I think I had a pretty good indoor season, but that I can be better," Neville said. "I feel great coming off NCAAs and I'm ready to do some damage."\nIU's distance runners will sit the weekend out, instead returning to strength work to rejuvenate themselves after successive grueling cross country and indoor track campaigns. \n"I'm not racing until Mt. SAC, (Mt. San Antonio College)" said junior All-American Sean Jefferson, who finished second at NCAAs in the mile. "It gives me about a month between NCAAs and my next race, so I can build strength."\nLast year, junior Ryan Ketchum, who barely missed qualifying for NCAA Indoor Nationals, took home the Florida Relays shot put crown, while Wilson and Neville both took home victories as well.\n"I'm looking to get my qualifying marks for regionals," Neville said. "I'm also looking to win all of my events."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Rob DeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.
(03/21/05 5:50am)
The Hoosiers entered the 2005 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships with aspirations of national glory. Returning two NCAA runners-up and one reigning NCAA champion, IU seemed guaranteed to impress on the nation's biggest stage. The team did not disappoint, finishing fifth in the nation, the highest NCAA finish of any IU squad during the winter sports season.\nLeading the charge was the NCAA's premier horizontal jumper, All-American Aarik Wilson. The junior from Fallon, Nev., took two dramatic title victories in the long jump and triple jump. \nFriday evening in the long jump, Wilson -- recently named Great Lakes Athlete of the Year by the United States Track Coaches Association -- entered the final round of jumps in second place. Though his personal best, set just one week before, was significantly better than the leading jump, he had yet to near that mark. He didn't waste his final opportunity, launching himself out to a new personal best and IU school record of 8.17-meters to take home his first NCAA championship by a handy margin. \n"I felt really good coming in," Wilson said. "It's just an amazing feeling. I've worked so hard and wouldn't have been satisfied with another second-place." \nHigh-jump coach Wayne Pate said he expected Wilson to earn a national title.\n"We have been aiming for this since Aarik got to Indiana," Pate said. "It's so nice to see him finally win after all the hard work. He has trained hard all year long and I expected nothing less than an NCAA title from him."\nAfter the long jump, IU's other competitors took to the track. IU had plenty to get excited about despite sophomore David Neville narrowly missing the fastest NCAA 200-meter final ever, where Arkansas sophomore Wallace Spearmon blazed 20.10, the second-fastest indoor time in world history.\nJunior All-Americans Sean and John Jefferson qualified for the mile final, each running times of 4:04. Later, junior Stephen Haas ran the 5,000 meters in 13:51 to finish ninth and grab his first All-America award. \nWilson returned to the runway the following afternoon, where he wasted no time leaping into the lead. He emerged from the pit with a mark of 16.92-meters, more than a foot better than second place, good for his second NCAA title in as many days. \n"It was an ecstatic feeling to win the long jump yesterday, but I feel even better today," Wilson said. "It has taken three years to reach this goal. It feels good to get the weight off my shoulders. Coach Pate is the best at what he does. I wouldn't be here if he hadn't helped me so much over the years."\nIn a crowded mile final, Sean and John Jefferson spent much of the time stuck in the middle of the pack. As the field thinned over the final four-hundred meters, Sean Jefferson quickly moved from fifth to second chasing Michigan Olympian Nick Willis, but there wasn't enough track left to catch him. Jefferson finished second with a time of 4:01.56. John Jefferson soon followed, passing several runners in the final lap to finish in 4:03.96 and grab seventh place, good for his third All-American award in the event. \nHaas followed this performance with his second-straight All-American award in the 3,000-meters, finishing 12th in 8:11.52. \n"Overall, we had a really good meet," said IU head coach Randy Heisler. "The Jeffersons ran really well and I was happy to see Stephen (Haas) earn All-American." \n-- Contact Staff Writer Rob \nDeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.
(03/11/05 5:56am)
Typically, an NCAA title is won by a team with a large number of athletes entered in various events, including relays. Every once in awhile, a team comes along with the potential to win on the strength of just a few athletes. \nThis year, the Hoosiers are that team. With just five athletes entered, IU is one of four teams with a chance to take this year's team title.\nIU's most formidable threat at the meet is junior All-American Aarik Wilson, whose banner year has established him as the nation's premier long and triple jumper. He sits comfortably atop the collegiate rankings in both events, holds both IU school records and will return to the site of his 2003 runner-up triple jump finish with hopes of taking home his first national title. \n"My goal is to win. Win the long jump, the triple jump and the team title," said Wilson, who could potentially score twenty points himself. "The entire season has been geared to be ready to jump far at the big meets, and I want to put jumps out there that won't be forgotten."\nWilson has certainly lived up to his end of the bargain, taking two wins at the Big Ten Championships en route to setting a new personal best and long jump school record. He will look to twins Sean and John Jefferson, sophomore David Neville and junior Stephen Haas to fortify IU's chances at a team title.\nIn 2004, Sean Jefferson took a runaway victory in the mile, winning in 4:00.18. This year he led his brother John -- 2003 runner-up in the mile -- to their first sub-four minute miles, 3:56 and 3:57 respectively. Despite being reigning champion, Sean's task will be more difficult: he will have to contend with both his own brother and Olympian Nick Willis of Michigan, who Sean beat by only one-hundredth of a second at Big Ten. \n"Big Tens prepped me nicely for the NCAAs, because I got to work on my closing speed," Sean said. "I know that I am in great shape right now and I am feeling pretty fit. If I run to my ability and get beat, there's nothing I can do about that -- and I will definitely run to my ability. I think I can win another title."\nHaas will make his first appearance at NCAAs, running both the 3,000 and 5,000-meters, where he is nationally ranked 2nd and 5th. After lying low and running only one event at Big Tens, Haas will be fresh and ready.\nNeville will run only the 200-meter, a vast reprieve for most championship meets where he pulls double or even triple duty.\n"I have been more rested this year than last, so I think the rest has made me fresher to run at NCAAs," Neville said. "I would love to place in the top five or three, but I'll just leave that up to God."\n-- Contact staff writer Rob \nDeWite at rdewitte@indiana.edu.
(03/04/05 6:13am)
Last weekend's Big Ten Indoor Track and Field Championships saw the Hoosiers score their highest team finish in more than a decade. Junior Aarik Wilson spearheaded IU's second-place effort winning both the long and triple jumps. Wilson defeated 2004's indoor long-jump champion and vaulted into the national lead in the triple jump by almost half a meter in the process. \nHis performance and season overall earned him both the Big Ten Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year and the Big Ten Indoor Track Athlete of the Championships awards. \n"Aarik did a good job, we were hoping that he would," said IU Associate Coach Wayne Pate. "This is the first meet where he had fresh legs, and it turned out really well, it's what we expected."\nWith only one weekend left until the NCAA Indoor Championships, one meet remains. Some of IU's athletes will travel to a meet at Notre Dame in hopes of attaining, if not an NCAA qualifying mark, at least a fast time. \n"A while back the coaches and I had planned on trying to run a fast one at last-chance," said junior Eric Redman, who will compete in the mile.\nA few athletes typically qualify for the NCAA Championships with their marks from the last-chance meet. Two years ago, John Jefferson snuck into the NCAA Indoor mile off of his win at Notre Dame's last-chance meet, and ended up finishing second in the nation.\nOther times, athletes will compete at a last-chance meet to solidify their bid to nationals if it seems that their place on the descending performance list -- from which NCAA qualifiers are drawn -- is on the bubble.\nThe ticket is punched for most of IU's qualifiers, who used Big Tens as their final prep for Nationals. \n"I'm not going to run last-chance," said junior All-American David Neville. "I was really happy with the way things went at Big Tens, though. I just wish I could've won both of my events, but that time will come." \nOne weekend from now, perhaps the Hoosiers' team title time will come. Boasting five athletes with a legitimate chance at an NCAA title, IU will be one of the teams to watch. \n-- Contact Staff Writer Rob DeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.
(02/28/05 6:14am)
The men's track team did everything it could to contend for the Big Ten Indoor Track title this weekend. As consolation, the team notched its highest finish since 1992's conference title with a runner-up effort Saturday and Sunday.\nAlthough IU coach Randy Heisler said he expected Wisconsin to dominate, the future remains bright, as IU will return all its top talent in 2006.\n"You know, we could have everything go right for us at this meet and still finish second," Heisler said before the meet.\nHeisler's prediction rang true. IU scored nearly every point it was expected to, finishing with 105.5. In the end, Wisconsin's depth of strength in the 5,000-meter -- where it scored four athletes -- solidified the 40-point Badger victory. \nSaturday, junior All-American and IU school record-holder Aarik Wilson put on a dazzling display of jumping, first taking a sizable victory in the long jump with a leap of 7.58 meters. Sophomore Kiwan Lawson finished in fourth. Sunday, Wilson leapt back into the NCAA triple jump lead, soaring past the NCAA automatic qualifying standard to an easy win with a mark of 16.83 meters, leaving a victory margin of almost a full meter.\nOn the track, it was crucial that IU qualify all its athletes from Saturday's preliminaries to Sunday's finals. A failure to give a solid effort in a preliminary can saddle a tall sprinter with the extra burden of a tight inside-lane draw. If sophomore All-American David Neville had drawn lane one, his task would have been more difficult. Neville took this knowledge to heart and secured himself good lanes, culminating in a 200-meter title and a runner-up finish in the 400.\nThe mostly hotly contested events in the Big Ten in recent years have been the distance races. Saturated with distance talent, each race is an epic battle.\nOver the past three years, IU's Jefferson twins have traded mile supremacy with Olympian Nick Willis of Michigan. In 2003, John Jefferson ran Willis down in the final meters for a split-second win. Last year, Willis got the jump on Sean Jefferson and took home the win. In a year where all three runners have run under four minutes in the mile, the group passed the halfway mark in 2:33 -- on pace for a 5:06 mile. In a blistering finish, Sean avenged last year's loss, nipping Willis at the line by one-hundredth of a second, requiring a photo finish to determine the winner. \n"After Willis made his move, Sean just wouldn't give in and wouldn't give in and finally nabbed him," said IU volunteer assistant coach Chris Ekman.\nSean's winning time of 4:26.70 was marked by a searing final quarter-mile. John Jefferson also ran the distance medley relay the previous day and finished just a second back in third in 4:27.88. \n"Last year, I walked off the track wondering what I could do to beat him," Sean said. "I just gave it everything I had in the last lap to run him down."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Rob DeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.
(02/25/05 6:21am)
When an IU track and field athlete looks back at his career, only two indoor meets matter -- the Big Ten Championships and the NCAA Championships. \nTwo weekends. Two chances for an athlete to leave his mark. \nThis weekend, IU travels to Purdue University for its first chance -- the Big Ten Championships. This year the Hoosiers have their first real chance to bring home a Big Ten title in more than a decade. \n"The last time this team won the Big Ten, these kids were in third grade," said IU coach Randy Heisler. "The guys are excited; they're anxious."\nLeading the charge for IU's big points is junior Aarik Wilson, considered the front-runner in both the long and triple jumps. Also topping the Big Ten ranks is sprinter David Neville, leading the conference in both the 200 and 400 meters.\n"I'm excited for what the team can do," Neville said. "We've got a good group and we've been training really hard."\nIn the throwing events, junior Ryan Ketchum and senior Wil Fleming are prepared to challenge the Big Ten's best, as they have both provisionally qualified for NCAAs. \n"I'll need to throw farther at Big Tens to get into NCAAs, but I'm ready for it," Fleming said.\nThis year presents IU with a number of serious distance challengers as well. The emergence of junior Stephen Haas, who has broken two of IU's most hallowed school records in the past three weeks, bolsters an already potent IU distance contingent.\n"Right now, don't go near Stephen with sharp objects," Heisler said. "I mean, he's in a bubble right now, we just need to keep riding him."\nHaas will run a leg on the distance medley relay and will be waiting in the wings should the team need him to race in the 5,000 meters. \nJunior All-Americans Sean and John Jefferson will both compete in the mile, looking for the first ever 1-2 finish for twins in the Big Ten.\n"We've been training for these three weeks since cross country ended," said Sean Jefferson, who finished second in the mile last year. \nIn the final practice before leaving for West Lafayette, the athletes ranged in demeanor from relaxed to nervous. Some even feared letting their teammates down, a sure sign that the team is gearing up for a serious battle in which all will depend on each other.\n"The anxiety is good," Heisler said. "Fear's great, fear's useful. If you know how to harness it, fear is a very powerful, driving emotion."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Rob \nDeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.
(02/21/05 5:53am)
Less than a week remains before the men's track team takes its show on the road to Purdue for the Big Ten Indoor Track Championships. The team wrapped up its preparation for the meet this weekend with the final home meet of the year -- the Hoosier Hills Invitational. \nSeveral Hoosiers used the meet to work out a few last-minute kinks and turned in strong tune-up performances.\nIn the shot put, junior Ryan Ketchum, currently No. 10 in the NCAA, won both the shot and the weight throw. In the weight, he earned his first NCAA provisional mark, winning with a heave of 19.51 meters. \n"My shot put mark isn't even the best I can throw," Ketchum said. "At Big Ten's, I should throw a lot further. We're tapering down now."\nJunior Wil Fleming, ranked in the top 20 nationally, finished right behind Ketchum in second with a toss of 19.34 meters. \n"I'll need to throw a little further at Big Ten's to get into NCAA's," Fleming said.\nFreshman Marcus Thigpen set a personal best in the 60-meters en route to winning the event in 6.82 seconds, which lodges him firmly in the hunt for the Big Ten 60-meter title.\nSenior Tom Burns, a standout steeplechaser outdoors, won the 5,000-meters in his second race of the season to become eligible to run the event at the Big Ten Championships.\n"I basically ran even pace the whole way," Burns said. "This year at Big Ten's, they're splitting the 5K into a fast and slow section, so you basically have to have a qualifying time to run it. We got that taken care of today."\nBurns, who figures big into IU's outdoor track aspirations, ran his first race of the season last weekend at the Tyson Invitational, where he finished the 3,000-meters in a personal best 8:23. In that race, freshman Brian Sullivan finished two seconds back and will run the same distance at the Big Ten Championships.\n-- Contact Staff Writer Rob DeWitte \nat rdewitte@indiana.edu.
(02/18/05 5:58am)
One more week. Members of the men's track team have been repeating this mantra fairly often recently. At first they looked to two elite meets to try to get qualifying marks, and now they are set for the Big Ten Championships Feb. 26 amd 27 at Purdue. \n"I think the team is really excited about Big Ten's," said sophomore All-American David Neville. "We really have a chance to win the meet as a whole, so we're getting ready to start peaking fast."\nThe Hoosier Hills Invitational nicely serves the purpose as one last chance for fine-tuning before the conference championship.\nMany other athletes will take the weekend off to rest and build their strength for the grueling two-day schedule next weekend. The schedule will be xacerbated by the West Lafayette track's exceedingly tight turns and claustrophobic fieldhouse. For many of these athletes, the Big Ten Championships is the first stop in their championship season. \n"For me, I want to make sure and do as best I can in the championship meets," said junior Stephen Haas, who has broken two IU records in the past two weeks. "I just want to be ready for the best the country has to offer."\nJunior All-American and reigning NCAA Indoor Mile Champion Sean Jefferson takes a similar stance, as does twin brother John. \n"We're going to be hitting some hard workouts in the next couple of weeks to get prepared," said Sean Jefferson. "Like any other sport, no one remembers anything about your career besides how you did at Big Ten's and NCAA's."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Rob \nDeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.
(02/11/05 6:28am)
IU has a tough act to follow this weekend.\nThe men's track team has the task of topping last weekend's performances -- four school records and two sub-four minute milers. Fresh off earning a No. 2 www.trackwire.com national ranking, the Hoosiers compete in the prestigious Tyson Invitational this Weekend in Fayetteville, Ark.\nDown in Fayetteville, the site of the NCAA Indoor Championships, IU hopes to get the team ready to return for nationals March 11-12.\n"Notre Dame and Tyson are our two meets to qualify people," said IU head coach Randy Heisler. "Hopefully by then we'll have some more qualifiers."\nLast weekend, the Jefferson twins made history, becoming the first twins in the NCAA to break four minutes in the mile in the same race. Sean Jefferson, this week's Big Ten Athlete of the Week, won the race in 3:56 with twin brother John just behind him in second with a time of 3:57. Sean beat Olympian Jim Spivey's 23-year old indoor mile record. Less than an hour later, junior Stephen Haas shocked the Hoosier faithful by breaking Olympian and American 5,000-meter record-holder Bob Kennedy's 3,000-meter record by four seconds, ranking him second in the NCAA with a time of 7:51. \n"I wasn't even going to run Notre Dame," Haas said. "I was going to sit out and focus on the Tyson 5K. Good thing I ran."\nThis weekend, IU gets another chance to make history and increase its number of NCAA qualifiers. They have an excellent chance of doing so as the Arkansas track is a state-of-the-art hydraulically-banked 200-meter mondo surface. The last time IU competed on it, Sean Jefferson won an NCAA mile title and David Neville earned All-America status in the 200-meters at the 2004 NCAA Indoor Championships. \nIU will also run its first distance medley relay, a race in which they broke the school record with last year's NCAA qualifying race in 9:31. The team of Eric Redman, Rodney Hollis, David Neville and Sean Jefferson won't be the same on the track, as John Jefferson will likely substitute for Sean, while Andre Grimes will fill in for Neville. Regardless, IU will field a strong team. Sean Jefferson will take a crack at the NCAA automatic qualifying standard in the 3,000-meters.\nLost behind the distance history making was the establishment of two other IU school records. The 4x400-meter relay squad broke the IU record of 3:10 with a team comprised of Grimes, Hollis, freshman Doug Dayhoff and Neville, who also won the 200-meters with an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 21.18. Neville anchored the squad to an NCAA provisional qualifying time of junior Stephanos Iannou, a native of Macedonia, who also broke his own 60-meter hurdles school record with a time of 7.88 seconds. Junior All-American leaper Aarik Wilson took a commanding national lead, notching a mark of 16.19-meters and will likely try to better his long jump season best.\n-- Contact Staff Writer Rob DeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.
(02/07/05 6:47am)
Two IU records. Two twins. Two sub-four minute miles. Two new IU distance kings. \nThe odyssey that led to the demise of two IU school records Saturday at Notre Dame began with two successive weekends five years ago. The first brought current juniors and All-Americans Sean and John Jefferson to IU for their official two-day recruiting visit. The next weekend brought current junior Stephen Haas to campus for his two days.\nFrom this, IU got three prize recruits who rewrote IU's record books two days ago. Saturday, Sean and John Jefferson became the first twins to run sub-4:00 miles in the same race in NCAA history.\n"We've both wanted to break 4:00, so to do it together was really special," said John Jefferson.\nFive years after their recruiting visits, two hours on Notre Dame's oversized track updated over a decade of Indiana distance running tradition. Sean and John Jefferson's performance gave them the top two spots in the Meyo Invitational Mile, both getting their first sub-4:00 mile within two seconds of each other. Sean's 3:56.44 broke three-time Olympian Jim Spivey's 1982 IU record. John's 3:57.85 ranks two spots back to third all-time fastest at IU. They became the fourth twins in NCAA history to both dip below track's most legendary barrier. \nThe first half of the race took just over two minutes. Two hundred meters later, Sean Jefferson, the 2004 NCAA Indoor Mile Champion, decided he'd had enough.\n"I ran it just like NCAA's," Sean said. "With 600 to go I started hammering. I saw the clock with 400 to go at 2:59 and I just started thinking, 'I'm going to break four over, I'm going to break four.'"\nOnly two spots back, John Jefferson, the 2003 NCAA Indoor Mile runner-up, born two minutes before Sean, saw his brother shoot into the lead.\n"I was in third coming around that final lap," said John, back in action after missing two track seasons. "I saw Sean ahead and that just gave me that extra energy to finish behind him in second."\nThey're now two brothers with two first-time sub-4:00 miles. \nBut IU wasn't done. One record remained on the books, held by two-time IU Olympian Bob Kennedy. Before the race, junior Stephen Haas, focused on next weekend's Tyson Invitational 5,000-meters, wasn't even sure he would run. Once he decided to race, he thought he might be able to run 7:55. With two laps to go, Haas sat in the lead ahead of 2004 Olympian Nick Willis of Michigan.\nTwo turns from the finish line, Haas was oblivious as to how fast he was running. \n"On the backstretch, in the lead, he was laughing," Sean Jefferson said.\nWillis kicked past him in the final straight, and Haas finished just over two seconds back in 7:51 -- a new IU school record and a personal best improved by 20 seconds. Two Wisconsin All-Americans fell to the track at his sides, exhausted from the effort. \n"After the race I wasn't even tired at all," Haas said. "Everyone was running around yelling and I just wanted to know how fast I ran."\nHaas ran fast enough to automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships in five weeks, set a new school record and rank second in the nation. \nTwo recruiting visits, two races, two sub-4:00 miles, two new IU records. Only one question remains, with the Big Ten and NCAA Championships looming -- two team titles?\n-- Contact Staff Writer Rob DeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.
(02/04/05 6:06am)
This weekend, the IU track team will travel its full contingent of athletes to Notre Dame for the Meyo Invitational. Aside from the Big Ten face-off against Purdue and Ohio State two weeks ago, the meet is IU's first true test. The Meyo Invitational is a focal point of the season for most teams in attendance as the meet consistently produces NCAA qualifying marks. IU must show more tenacity to get the job done, IU head coach Randy Heisler said.\n"Sometimes I feel like we lack a killer instinct," he said. "Sometimes, we're just too nice."\nThere is little room this weekend for weakness. Each event is stocked with marquee national talent. \nMeyo's signature event is the Invitational Mile. Each year, two or three athletes break the four-minute mile barrier for the first time. Last year, four athletes broke the barrier and 16th-place finished in 4:08, still an impressive mark. \nThis year's meet includes 2004's NCAA Indoor mile champion, IU junior Sean Jefferson. He will be joined in the race by his brother John, a 2003 NCAA Indoor mile runner up. Sean Jefferson holds a mile best of 4:00 while John has run 4:02. Sean Jefferson has recently posted a 10-second 3,000-meter personal best in a win against Ohio State and Purdue. Last weekend, John Jefferson blazed 2:58 for 1,200 meters, right on pace to break four minutes. \n"I felt like I could have run faster if I'd kicked at the end," Sean Jefferson said after his 3,000 win. "But it's better to save my legs for Notre Dame."\n"I felt good through the 1,200," John Jefferson said last weekend. "I don't know if I could've picked up the pace, but I know I could keep the same pace, and that's all I need."\nAnother Hoosier who seems primed for a breakout performance is sophomore All-American David Neville, who will run the 400-meter run. \n"Oh, definitely, I can't wait to run on an oversized track," Neville said. "It'll be a lot easier to maneuver around the turns."\nThe field events are equally solid. Recent improvements in Notre Dame's facility have turned it into not only a top-notch meet for track events, but for throwing and jumping as well. \nJunior All-American Aarik Wilson, an NCAA runner-up, is currently tied for the NCAA triple jump lead with a leap of 16.04 meters and will compete in both the triple jump and long jump.\nJunior Ryan Ketchum will be in action in the shot put, where he currently ranks fifth nationally. Junior Wil Fleming will compete in the weight throw, where he ranks 11th nationally.\n"Before Christmas break, I thought we'd have to redshirt Wil," Heisler said. "But he came back just throwing great, and it shows in his performance."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Rob DeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.
(01/31/05 5:23am)
The Hoosiers got a simulation of the Big Ten Championships this weekend as they played host to the two-day Hoosier Relays.\n"Overall, I think it was a great meet with some good competition, and this will help us prepare for the Big Ten and the NCAA," coach Randy Heisler said.\nJunior All-American John Jefferson, aiming for a fast mile next weekend at Notre Dame, ran a 1,200-meter leg on the second-place finishing distance medley relay. After fighting through early traffic, Jefferson closed his leg in 2:58, right on pace to break 4 minutes. \n"I started getting a little tired towards the end, but it's only because I had to work myself," Jefferson said. "When I'm running in the pack next weekend it'll be easier."\nSenior Rodney Hollis, who will try for an NCAA-qualifying mark in the 800 next weekend, endured an early fast pace-setter to win the race in 1:52.69.\n"I don't have an exact goal for the season, I just want to place high in the national championships," Hollis said.\nSophomore All-American David Neville joined Hollis on the 1,600 relay and also finished second in the open 400-meters to former collegiate star Godfrey Herring. Neville posted his first NCAA provisional qualifying mark of the season in 47.33. \n"I can't wait for Notre Dame," Neville said. "I know times will drop pretty quickly."\nIU also got wins from junior Ryan Ketchum in the shot put with a mark of 18.06.\nIU is back in action next weekend at Notre Dame's Mayo Classic in South Bend.\n-- Contact Staff Writer Rob DeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.
(01/28/05 7:12am)
It's rare in sports for every athlete on a team to be in sync, healthy and geared toward the same goal. The IU men's track squad's good fortune is reflected with its No. 3 ranking in the recent release of the www.Trackwire.com's national poll. IU trails defending NCAA champion Arkansas and Big Ten foe Michigan.\nFresh off two convincing wins over Big Ten rivals Ohio State and Purdue, all of IU's key athletes are rounding into top form and nearing a phenomenal performance with each passing day.\nJunior All-American and two-time NCAA runner-up Aarik Wilson, who is tied for first atop the national triple jump rankings, likes the Hoosiers' progress.\n"The team has worked really hard," Wilson said. "I know I'm in good shape and ready to start jumping far, so I'm excited to see how the rest of the team does."\nThe Hoosier Relays are another chance to get in some prep work before Notre Dame's Meyo Classic, typically a top producer of elite national marks. Given Notre Dame's oversized track, which makes for softer turns and faster times, the meet attracts top talent from all across the nation. Tall athletes such as sophomore All-American David Neville get extra benefit from the track's features.\n"I'm pleased with how I opened up in the 400 last weekend," said Neville, who won the event in 47.85. "I would've loved to run faster but it's the first one and we've been having some really tough practices. I'm sure times will start to drop quick, and I can't wait for Notre Dame."\nThe Meyo Classic features an Invitational Mile which has a reputation for producing sub-4:00 performances. IU's All-American twins Sean and John Jefferson will be in the race challenging the legendary mile mark. \nThe Hoosier Relays might see the debut of junior Stephen Haas, who provisionally qualified for the NCAA Indoor 5,000-meter run with a time of 14:06 last year, but just missed the cut.\n"Until I was in the hospital for a couple of days a few weeks back I was going to run for sure," Haas said. "Training has been going well though so we'll see."\nThe two-day Hoosier Relays begin at 4 p.m. today.\n-- Contact Staff Writer Rob DeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.
(01/24/05 6:26am)
On the strength of an array of impressive performances, IU put Big Ten indoor track squads on notice Saturday afternoon with a victory over conference rivals Ohio State and Purdue. The Hoosiers scored 128 points to best the Boilermakers' 92 and the Buckeyes' 87 points.\nIU's stars were out in force, giving the Hoosiers wins in 8-of-15 events.\nJunior All-American Aarik Wilson continued to climb the national ladder in the triple jump, soaring to a season-best mark of 16.04-meters, which puts him in a tie for first in the NCAA performance rankings. \nWilson also placed second in the long jump to sophomore teammate Kiwan Lawson, who leapt to a distance of 7.43-meters, just short of the NCAA provisional standard. \n"Kiwan has said he's going to win the Big Ten," said IU coach Randy Heisler. "To do that, he's got to beat Aarik Wilson, which won't be easy -- but I like that attitude, that's what we want."\nJunior Ryan Ketchum launched a sizable season best en route to second place in the shot put with a mark of 18.35-meters. In other throwing action, senior Wil Fleming surpassed the NCAA provisional mark in the weight throw with a heave of 20.12-meters.\nSophomore All-American David Neville opened his sprinting season with an easy 400-meter victory, coasting across the finish line in 47.85. In other sprinting action, freshman Marcus Thigpen improved his season-best in the 60-meters with a time of 6.85 to finish 2nd. \nSenior Rodney Hollis took home a win in the 800-meters with a time of 1:52.6. In the mile, freshman Brian Sullivan finished 2nd in 4:17, while freshman Chris Honig finished third, also in 4:17. \nIU's All-American twins, Sean and John Jefferson, took their first step in the quest to beat a four-minute mile in the 3,000-meters. Paced out early by junior teammate Eric Redman, Sean took over mid-way through the race and extended a sizable lead over a Purdue athlete. Sean cruised home in 8:12, a ten-second personal best, and the fastest by an IU athlete other than recent graduate Chris Powers in the last six years. \n"I felt good," said Sean Jefferson, the reigning 2004 NCAA Indoor Mile Champion. "I just cruised in the last half-mile. I could've hammered it if I'd wanted to but instead I just stayed smooth."\nJohn Jefferson didn't fare quite as well, staying at the same pace as the opening portion of the race and crossing the line in 8:30.\n"I felt a little flat," he said. "Two more weeks, and we've got the big test -- the mile at Notre Dame, which is always fast."\nIU also got wins from sophomore Stephanos Ioannou in the 60-meter hurdles, as well as from senior Jake Wiseman in the pole vault. The Hoosier relay squad of Neville, Hollis, Andre Grimes and freshman Doug Dayhoff won the 4x400-meter relay. \nThe Hoosiers return to action next weekend in Bloomington as they host the two-day Hoosier relays. \n-- Contact Staff Writer Rob \nDeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.
(01/21/05 6:08am)
No Big Ten rivalry goes unnoticed, and after two weekends of lax competition, the men's track team is set to open the doors Saturday to the Harry Gladstein Fieldhouse for two of the Big Ten's strongest indoor track teams.\nMost of IU's marquee talent is slated to compete, including junior All-American Aarik Wilson, picked as a favorite to win the NCAA triple jump title and recently named Big Ten Indoor Track Athlete of the Week. Last weekend, Wilson provisionally qualified for the NCAA championships in both the long jump and triple jump en route to two wins over freshman teammate Kyle Jenkins. Those easy marks rank him third in the triple jump and eighth in the long jump nationally. \nWilson's Big Ten honor gives IU its second straight Big Ten Athlete of the Week. Last week, junior thrower Ryan Ketchum took the honors. \n"Ryan's going to need to be a player at both the conference and national level if we want to be competitive," said IU head coach Randy Heisler. \nSo far, Ketchum has showed he is capable of contending for significant points in the Big Ten. He is currently ranked No. 4 nationally in the shot put with a mark of 17.91-meters, set at last weekend's Hoosier Classic. \nMaking their 2005 indoor track debut for IU will be twin All-Americans Sean and John Jefferson, who will race the 3,000-meters, an event neither has competed in seriously since the 2003 season. \n"We'll talk it over with Coach Chapman and decide what will be best way to approach the race for the season's development," Sean Jefferson said. "We'll end up doing something that will get us on track to reach our goals later in the season."\nLast year was interesting for the Delray Beach, Florida natives, as John Jefferson spent the year in the bleachers with a knee injury. Sean went on to seize the NCAA Indoor mile title in 4:00. The previous year, John Jefferson was runner-up. The two haven't competed in the same race together on the track since the 5,000-meters at the 2003 Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Championships. \n"It should be a good indicator of where my fitness is," said John Jefferson, who won the Big Ten mile title in 2003. "The 3K is a good prep workout for a few weeks when I open in the mile at Notre Dame."\nThe meet begins at 11 a.m. Results will be available shortly afterward online at www.iuhoosiers.com.\n-- Contact Staff Writer Rob \nDeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.
(01/14/05 2:25pm)
The Web site www.trackwire.com recently placed the Hoosiers fourth in the nation, but this weekend's Hoosier Open will measure the fitness of IU's athletes after the long semester break and if they can live up to that ranking. The men's track team has one more weekend to prepare for Big Ten rivals Ohio State and Purdue next weekend in Bloomington.\n"Indoor track is difficult because kids leave for break in great shape, but when they get back, you hope they've done the work and kept in shape," IU head coach Randy Heisler said. "You don't really know whether they have until the first few meets, and that's what this one is for."\nThe meet will also allow some of IU's marquee athletes to get in a relaxed, warm-up performance before the Big Ten schedule begins. Among those who will debut is junior All-American Aarik Wilson, who was recently projected by www.trackwire.com as the NCAA triple jump favorite. \n"Our goal this season has got to be to win, plain and simple," Heisler said. "We should be disappointed if we don't win Big Ten, and we've got a shot at NCAA, which is rare for a northern school. Aarik is obviously a big part of that."\nAnother of IU's prime threats, sophomore All-American David Neville, will likely compete this weekend in the 600-meters run for the second time ever, as well as in the 60-meters.\n"It will be my first time racing the 600 collegiately," said Neville, a double Big Ten Champion outdoors in 2004. "I think the 600 went pretty good for the first time last weekend. I know this time I will have to go out a little bit faster and try to finish the same."\nHoosier track followers will also be keeping an eye on redshirted freshman football player Marcus Thigpen.\n"In the sprints, Marcus has legitimate speed," Heisler said. "He ran fast in our team time trial a few weeks ago."\nSeveral Hoosier distance runners will debut this weekend, racing unattached.\n"We're going to run a few of the freshman unattached as a precaution," said IU distance coach Robert Chapman. "Then we'll make a decision as to whether they'll run in uniform against Ohio State and Purdue."\nIU's nationally recognized distance talent likely won't debut for another week. Junior All-Americans Sean and John Jefferson spent the semester break training in San Diego and have returned fresh and healthy. Juniors Stephen Haas and Eric Redman are also mostly healthy and excited for track. Senior steeplechaser Tom Burns has been dealing with a minor foot problem.\n-- Contact Staff Writer Rob \nDeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.
(01/07/05 5:43am)
IU's 2005 men's track team offers fans a number of top-notch athletes, including several All-Americans, Olympic Trials qualifiers, Big Ten Champions, and one NCAA Champion. With such a talented squad, this year's team has high hopes, looking to a national title.\nThe men's track team is set to open its competitive indoor season Saturday at the Harry Gladstein Fieldhouse. The meet will begin at 11 a.m. with the final event scheduled for just before 2 p.m. \nIU's meet serves as a warm-up for the heart of the season, which starts within the next two weeks in a multi-team home meet and a Big Ten showdown against Purdue University and The Ohio State University. \nThe Hoosiers' strengths span the entire event spectrum, with strong jumping, vaulting and throwing in the field events, and equally formidable performers on the track. \nThis season's top threat in the throwing events is junior Ryan Ketchum, who is poised to make the leap to national prominence this season.\nFew teams have better horizontal jumping corps than IU. Junior Aarik Wilson is IU's best triple jumper of all time and has twice been runner-up in the NCAA Championships. Backing him up are sophomore Kiwan Lawson and incoming freshmen Kyle Jenkins and Leslie Majors, who recently finished his first season of IU football.\n"Aarik is to the level where there are very few humans who can do what he can do," said IU head coach Randy Heisler. "He almost won nationals in the long jump, which is his second event because he is that competitive."\nIn the sprints, IU has one of the nation's top talents in sophomore David Neville, who came into his own during the 2004 outdoor season. At the Big Ten Championships outdoors Neville took home 200-meter and 400-meter titles en route to an All-American award and a top-thirty world ranking in the 400-meters. Indoors, Neville was an All-American at 200-meters and ran a leg on IU's school record Distance Medley Relay (DMR). The NCAA and World Indoor Distance Medley records are only a few seconds faster than IU's record. \n"For the DMR, it's nice to have a great sprinter available in Neville," said junior John Jefferson. "If we can put one together anything's possible."\nIn the distances, IU returns 2004 NCAA Indoor Mile Champion Sean Jefferson and his twin brother John, who was runner-up in the same event in 2003 prior to sitting out 2004 with an injury. The brothers figure big into IU's plans and could help lift the Hoosiers to an NCAA team title, and leaves open the possibility that IU could take first and second in the mile.\n"Cross country took its toll on the distance guys," said junior Sean Jefferson, training over the semester break with teammates in San Diego. "We'll start racing again soon and things have gone well."\nThe Hoosier Open will provide IU a chance to prepare for the upcoming season, and also to gauge the progress of young athletes.\n-- Contact staff writer Rob DeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.
(11/22/04 4:28am)
Depending on when you read this, the IU men's cross country team might have finished its season in grand fashion. Scheduled for just after noon today, the No. 10 ranked Hoosiers will compete in the NCAA Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute. \nLeading the team, as he has all season, is junior All-American Sean Jefferson, who put on a show at the NCAA Regional last Saturday, opening a 50-meter lead halfway into the race before setting his legs on autopilot and cruising in to finish second. \n"A couple of guys started sprinting all out at the end," Jefferson said. "I didn't even bother because I wanted to save my legs for NCAAs."\nBoosting the Hoosiers as the season winds down has been Sean Jefferson's resurgent twin brother John, who finished fifth at the Regional. \n"I just ran in the pack and did what I had to do to," John Jefferson said. "Once I knew the team was in, I stopped worrying."\nThe Jeffersons were reinforced by IU's third runner, senior Tom Burns, who finished 31st, and a welcome improvement from their supporting cast. \nJunior Eric Redman seems to be getting his legs under him just when he needs to. After a season of somewhat frustrating performances, he finished 37th at Regionals.\n"I took a couple of days totally off," Redman said. "I think it helped a lot in getting me to feel like my old self again."\nIU will need Redman back to his old self. The Hoosiers will also need one of two juniors, Stephen Haas and Charlie Koeppen, to step up and have a breakthrough performance. \n"Really, the team's chances rest on how well Haas and Redman run," said assistant coach Chris Ekman. "If they can have a big day, the guys could finish really high."\nLast year, IU finished 12th as a team for its highest finish in decades. Sean Jefferson finished 19th, the Hoosiers' best finish since Bob Kennedy won the meet more than 10 years ago. \n-- Contact staff writer Rob DeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.